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Vote for QSQ

I think that, since we get to NOMINATE them, that we should be given a period of time to vote for them ourselves. Then, more people would READ/REVIEW the stories, the authors would be happy, and everyone could generally agree on who wins.

Currently, each QSQ category is worked on by a handful of people. The stories are read and discussed and compared, and judged on the basis of several aspects that contribute to their overall quality. I think this system works well: it allows everyone on MNFF to have their say, then ensures that the winning fics have been read by the people who choose the winners (whereas if it was a vote, people might vote without having read all the nominees - thus it wouldn't get more reads for the authors) and it would be reduced to a popularity contest.

So, the system which is in place and is worked on very hard by several people means that A) everyone gets a chance to say what they like and B) it is ensured that the highest quality fictions are chosen rather than possibly those which are most popular. If the winner isn't the fic you would have expected in your favourite category, perhaps you'll find another excellent story you'd never found before!

I don't think having a vote would promote more people to read/review the stories. It would just encourage more 'bribery' and people voting just because they know the author and that sort of thing. Just because a person voted doesn't mean they read all the stories in the running--and there are usually A LOT of them. Most people are too lazy for that and would just vote for a friend's or the one they nominated.

Like Chels pointed out, the system works out perfectly well. Especially as it is run by mods, they know what sort of quality they are looking for. They chose the people that work with them, and from my understanding it is not always the same each year. A vote wouldn't necessarily bring out a good story, but it would bring out a popular one. I'm not saying that those two can't go together, but they don't always.

So, that's my two cents.

[hugs]

xox
nikki

"Through literacy you can begin to see the universe.
Through music you can reach anybody.
Between the two there is you, unstoppable."

Of course there are places that have both an Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice awards. The mods could still do their diligent quality evaluation, yet all members could feel they have a part in the voting and not just recommendations. And if the member vote did become just a popularity contest, we would still have the mod's superior selections.

Originally Posted by fg_weasley

I don't think having a vote would promote more people to read/review the stories.

This seems a bit of doublethought to me. Members voting and selecting stories wouldn't promote more people to read, but mods voting and selecting stories does? I'm confused. Isn't that like telling viewers of American Idol that all their voting doesn't make the show more popular, only Randy, Paula, and Simon's opinions do?

Sorry if we were unclear - each judging panel is led by a someone, normally a mod, but each has several members working on it. So it is not just a Mods' Choice.

I believe what Nikki was saying was that opening a vote would not encourage members to read all the stories any more than simply seeing them nominated would.

The system currently in place ensures that those choosing the winners have read all of the entries, and is more likely to promote stories that have fewer reads, because people won't just be picking the one they have read without comparing it to the other nominees.

I do think that the idea of having a members' choice and a judges' choice could work - but then again, it's extra effort to conduct the polls and make banners and the only result would be that we would know which is most popular.

This seems a bit of doublethought to me. Members voting and selecting stories wouldn't promote more people to read, but mods voting and selecting stories does? I'm confused. Isn't that like telling viewers of American Idol that all their voting doesn't make the show more popular, only Randy, Paula, and Simon's opinions do?

No, its not. Because I know that the mods/readers of the QSQ HAVE to read the stories, but there is no way they could make everyone that wants to vote read all the stories. When you vote on American Idol you watch American Idol, most likely. And when you watch American Idol you see ALL the options. There would be no way to do this will all the stories that get nominated. Plus reading takes time, and lots of it.

Originally Posted by Chels

I believe what Nikki was saying was that opening a vote would not encourage members to read all the stories any more than simply seeing them nominated would.

YES! This is what I mean.

"Through literacy you can begin to see the universe.
Through music you can reach anybody.
Between the two there is you, unstoppable."

I believe what Nikki was saying was that opening a vote would not encourage members to read all the stories any more than simply seeing them nominated would.

A Reader's Choice vote does not have to encourage or require members to read ALL the stories, just to read MORE stories. Tens of millions of people on Nov. 4 will vote for president without ever having listened to Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, or Ron Paul like we have listened to McCain and Obama. Yet they are some of the options. Our elections have no requirement that says a person cannot vote until they have heard ALL candidates, so we don't need to work by the assumption that reading ALL the stories is the ONLY way a voting system in MNFF must operate.

Although a Reader's Choice selection may not have the high quality achieved by the moderators system, the activity would promote members reading MORE stories, if not ALL. That is what I was saying .

A Reader's Choice vote does not have to encourage or require members to read ALL the stories, just to read MORE stories. Tens of millions of people on Nov. 4 will vote for president without ever having listened to Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, or Ron Paul like we have listened to McCain and Obama. Yet they are some of the options. Our elections have no requirement that says a person cannot vote until they have heard ALL candidates, so we don't need to work by the assumption that reading ALL the stories is the ONLY way a voting system in MNFF must operate.

This is true, and I agree with you. BUT, in keeping with your analogy, I think it is safe to say that MOST people will vote either Obama or McCain just because they are the major parties. Nader, Barr, and Paul will NOT be president. The only thing they will do is take votes from either Obama or McCain--which, I'll admit, is rather important in the outcome.

The thing is, its different with something you have to read. All your examples are things that people can watch on television, thus making it that much easier. I may sound blunt or rude, but people are lazy. And some don't have the time. Reading, especially some of the long fics that are nominated, takes a lot of time. Not everyone is going to read even most of the fics.

And let's not forget that the QSQ are judged IN SECRET. No one knows who is on the committees until after the winners are announced. An author does not know the status of their fic until the end. The reason for this is so that authors cannot pester/bribe the committee members to vote for their fics. With a poll, this would be left open. Authors could watch their own progress and/or tell people to vote for them and all that. Polls are still more or less secret, but not as much as the current procedure.

My point is, the QSQ are judged the way they are for a reason. Ultimately, no matter what, any election will still have some room for the popularity factor. That is unavoidable. However, the mods do it the way they do because QSQ stories represent quality not popularity. Like I said, those aren't always separate and they aren't always together. But opening the vote as a 'poll', in my opinion, would lessen the honor of a QSQ. It is hard to earn for a reason. I don't think opening all the categories to a popular vote is a good idea at all.

A Reader's Choice might be a workable idea, but again, it would require more work from the mods. They could perhaps make that another category and instead of including it in the usual groups they would just open a poll for the reviewing period or something. I think that is really something they should decide among themselves.

"Through literacy you can begin to see the universe.
Through music you can reach anybody.
Between the two there is you, unstoppable."

Just want to throw in my two cents and say that I agree with Nikki and Chelsea. I've been on a QSQ committee before, and I feel that the way the QSQ's work now is ideal.

There are often ten-fifteen stories in the categories, and the award committee are required to read each story and discuss the points and the awards are not given until, generally, there is an agreement.

A presidential election and a writing award are two completely seperate things. If people want to vote for who represents them and runs their country without hearing out all sides, then that's their fault. But an award is an honour and it is not fair to the lesser known authors and stories if people just vote for the well-known names or their friends without even reading the other stories and really giving them fair consideration.

I agree with the current QSQ format for judging. On so many sites I read the 'winners' of challenges and contest and really question the decisions. Often the writing is substandard and juvenile, at best! By keeping the judging private (it is not a popular election), the judges are allowed to read and determine the merits of every entry, unbiased by 'OMG-this is the best story eva!' emails.